Scalable Design

In my article on UXmatters this month, I outline a few strategies for managing the growth of Web applications up front by utilizing scalable design considerations. Check out the full article on UXmatters:

You’ve spent the last six months toiling away at a product design. And now your product has launched, so its time for some well deserved rest, right?

Unfortunately, Bruce Sterling, science fiction author and design professor, got it right when he said, “Design is never done.” Before you know it, there are new features to add, new markets to conquer, and new updates to your application’s content. Your seemingly elegant design begins to bloat with features, tear under the pressure of localization, and nearly keel over under the weight of new content that pushes it to its breaking point.

Could you have avoided this all too common cycle? Was there anything you might have done to anticipate these changes? One potential answer lies in scalable design considerations. Screen frameworks, user interface structures, and components that enable your product design to gracefully accommodate new features, new markets, and dynamic content—that can shrink or grow—are the cornerstones of a scalable design. Read the full article...